Broccoli Cheese Quinoa Patties

St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow, and today I am bringing you something that is…not even remotely Irish. #foodbloggerfail, I know. I wanted to make something to share with you in honor of St. Patrick’s Day like I did last year, but planning that far in advance is just not my strong suit lately. Just know that I WILL be wearing green (mint green counts, right?!) and eating potatoes and plenty of Irish butter tomorrow.

These broccoli cheese quinoa patties DO have flecks of green, even if they’re not predominantly green or Irish in origin. Trust me, they make up for it in deliciousness and versatility! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, cheesy, garlicky, and dotted with veggies, these patties are pretty much irresistible. I originally intended to serve these with chipotle mayo, but as it turns out, it’s pretty hard to make chipotle mayo when you, uh, don’t have any chipotles. Like I said before, planning ahead is not my forte as of late. So I whipped up some simple, homemade Thousand Island dressing instead, and it paired with the patties incredibly well!

That said, the patties are so moist and tasty on their own that they really don’t even need a dipping sauce – it’s more for the sake of presentation, if, for example, you’re serving them as appetizers. And that brings me to my next point about the versatility of these patties: they can be served as appetizers, as a main dish (the quinoa has enough protein that they’re deceivingly filling!), or as a side dish. You could even serve them with little buns as veggie burger sliders! I do not, however, recommend increasing the size of the patties to be comparable to a regular burger patty, because they are a bit fragile and will be difficult to shape and cook up in one piece if larger than 3 inches in diameter.

I hope that you all had a pie-filled Pi Day, that you bewared the Ides of March, and that you have a fun (and safe) St. Patrick’s Day! And that you make these broccoli cheese quinoa patties. Just go for it. You’ll love ‘em!

In a medium pot, combine the vegetable broth and quinoa and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let sit.

While the onion and bell pepper are being sautéed, steam the broccoli florets. You can do this quickly in the microwave: put the florets in a microwave-safe bowl along with about 1/4–1/3 cup water, then microwave, covered, until soft. The time will vary by microwave strength. Drain and chop roughly.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the cooked quinoa, sautéed vegetables, chopped broccoli, and the remaining ingredients for the patties, except the vegetable oil.

To shape the patties, take several tablespoons of the mixture and squeeze into a ball, then flatten into a disk, 2-3 inches in diameter, and about 1/2–3/4 inch thick. Wet your hands with water after shaping every few patties – this will reduce the amount of quinoa that sticks to your hands.

Wipe clean the skillet from the onion and bell pepper with a paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until a sprinkle of water drops sizzles upon contact. Place the patties in the skillet and press down slightly with a spatula. Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil before cooking each subsequent round of patties. Place the cooked patties on a plate or baking sheet lined with a paper towel.

While the patties are cooking, make the Thousand Island dressing: combine all the ingredients and stir until smooth. Serve immediately.

Notes

Makes about 12-15 patties; about 4 servings as an entrée.

1 1/2 cups is somewhat less liquid than most quinoa packages will likely call for - this is not a typo!

Cotija can be difficult to find (not to mention pricy), but I imagine that any type of crumbly cheese (feta, queso fresco, etc.) would work nicely, or even meltier cheeses like cheddar.

This recipe can be made gluten-free if, instead of using panko, you use gluten-free bread crumbs.

Reader Interactions

Comments

This sounds a-MAZ-ing. I just finished eating lunch but now I want THIS. Any chance I can talk you into flying up here and making me dinner? No? Dang. I’m gonna have to try this one day. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂

So this recipe was DELICIOUS, but how on earth did you get them to stay together in patty form?! I tried desperately, but we ended up having quinoa “fried rice”! I’ll definitely make it again, it was so good!

Oh no! Well, I’m glad to know it’s still tasty even if somewhat lacking in appearance. For me, keeping my hands wet as I was shaping the patties really helped, although the patties were still a bit fragile. If the mixture just doesn’t seem to want to stick together, another thing you might try is adding a bit more panko/bread crumbs, since when those are combined with wet ingredients, they get sticky and can help bind things together.

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Hi there! I'm Mara, a semi-vegetarian home cook with a serious sweet tooth and a penchant for flavorful yet unfussy recipes. Originally from California, I'm currently living in Michigan for grad school. Read more...